Online Travel Agencies 2H and Full Year 2016: Everyone’s Wearing Lots of Hats

Summary

Following major global consolidation in 2015, the OTA landscape further morphed in 2016, albeit at less unsettling levels. Ctrip acquired Skyscanner, MakeMyTrip and Ibibo Group merged, Webjet sold Zuji, and Trivago and Yatra went public. Brexit and attempted travel bans by the U.S. sent shockwaves around the globe, but these had seemingly little impact on OTA performance. Collective gross bookings by nine publicly reported OTAs rose 31% on the year. This report covers 2016 gross bookings, growth, and key developments and challenges for global OTAS and major travel intermediaries in the U.S., Europe and APAC regions.